Why "Bamboozlog"?

A few people have emailed asking where the name "Bamboozlog" came from, so I thought I'd write a quick post to explain. If it's not self-evident, "Bamboozlog" is a contraction of the words "bamboozle" and "blog." The name was inspired by a passage from Yann Martel's novel, The Life of Pi. When Eric and I moved out here to Mysore, neither of us knew much about India at all. We didn't know about the culture, didn't know about the city we were going to live in, didn't know much about our work or living situation. To put it succinctly, we were unprepared. Monsieur Martel explains it much more eloquently than I:

I had come to [India] completely unprepared. Actually, I had a preparation of one word. When I told a friend who knew the country well of my travel plans, he said casually, "They speak a funny English in India. They like words like bamboozle." I remembered his words as my plane started its descent towards Delhi, so the word bamboozle was my one preparation for the rich, noisy, functioning madness of India. I used the word on occasion, and truth be told, it served me well. To a clerk at a train station, I said, "I didn't think the fare would be so expensive. You're not trying to bamboozle me, are you?" He smiled and chanted, "No sir! There is no bamboozlement here. I have quoted you the correct fare."

So there you have it: the genesis of the "Bamboozlog." Thanks for reading.

Bamboozled!